I've talked to a few folks in Boca who said the Simmons stuff is overblown - everyone's talking every player, but unless Atlanta gets blown away, he's probably not going anywhere. His contract is so cheap they really can ask for the sun and the moon - Seager and DeLeon too much? OK, we'll keep Simmons instead. Thanks.

He might - those guides aren't supposed to name every single player who might be traded. I pick a few I find interesting/likely but I will miss a few who get moved.

I'm not dealing five years of Betts for three of Harvey.

That's correct. Broom Service won the Kennerspiel des Jahres, so I'm not alone in thinking it was the best of the year. Nothing came along like Splendor to upend the whole market.

I think Rosario is probably out, and I would guess Arcia is/ends up on the outside too. A lot depends on whether Sano can handle an outfield corner.

I put a list of the best two-player games below the main list. Start at the top of that and work your way down...

I think he's ready, and he's already on the 40-man, and this is the team that pushed Hicks to the majors before he was fully ready (so it's not like they're wildly service-time conscious). I think there's a decent chance, at least.

Loved it - one of the best of the year. Flesh Without Blood, California, the new version of REALiTi, the title track, Venus Fly all great.

I have a feeling, based on nothing but my own gut, that they'll do something in CF. Can't see them running Taylor's bat out there every day.

He's in tomorrow's buyers' guide post. Only if blown away.

Probably a tick overpriced given age/health concerns (just in the sense that he's probably not a 140-150 game player). But salaries are moving up so fast that it could end up seeming like fair value by February.

They can't until June 15th.

I'd trade him, yes. Or I'd quit. But you all know I'm weird like that.

Read it in HS and loved it. Books 4 and 5 started to slip and I never read the books in the series by other authors.

Benintendi has a lot of that - CF, run/power combo, people love the feel to hit, although he doesn't have the explosive speed of the guys you mentioned. Lewis Brinson comes to mind too.

I think it'll play, without much power. He's better when he stays short to the ball and uses the opposite field. When he gets long to try to hit the ball out, the strikeouts pile up. Maybe eventually he can do it all at the same time, but I haven't seen any of that from him.

If they reported he had a kid I'm sure that's true. I just saw the guy play in the AFL a few weeks ago, so "old reports" doesn't apply here.

Under. They have little incentive to tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I think Piazza and Junior - who, by the way, was well-known within the industry as an unpleasant person (I'm being kind) while he was a player, yet is revered by fans who revile other players of higher character - get in, and Bagwell makes a big move up. Raines is the one who worries me most - he needs a big jump this year to get in spitting distance for the final-year bump.

Chance for a star.

Yes, if the pitching was high-end enough. I think Swihart has a chance to be a star too, a plus defensive catcher who hits. It may take time to get to that value, and that is the only reason I'd be willing to discuss moving him.

You'd know the answer if you read my AFL posts...

But it does/has over history. The process is awful, and it allows for way too much wanking by the voters over their own ballots. Part of me would like to get that ten years in and get the ballot. Part of me would like to drive the bulldozer that razes the building to the ground.

I could probably stop taking questions now and be set for the rest of the hour. I see all the questions but can't possibly answer them all. Sorry.

All questions allowed. Still a big fan of throwing a pork shoulder in there for carnitas. Also love short ribs with dried figs and a bright red wine.

There is no question in my mind that that was their intent. All the more reason for us to vote for Bonds and Clemens!

Running into similar trouble with my daughter. Have you tried Fforde's Last Dragonslayer? That's a series now, and the vocab is appropriate.

Nowhere near enough for Swihart. I think Lopez is more likely to end up in the pen.

I agree ... and I agree.

That's a hot rumor that makes no sense for the Cubs.

Don't get it - thought he had at least average defender potential at short, maybe more. Certainly fast enough to play anywhere on the field.

Don't like it for Atlanta. Beede's value has dropped with his velocity as he's now a sinkerballer with poor control.

Ten best guys because I think that's the mandate. I don't like gaming the system even though the system is a bad joke.

I had this written for the buyers' guide for tomorrow (and will now be taking it out of the piece): Benoit is a "good when healthy" guy, although even that underrates him a little since he's thrown at least 54 innings in six straight seasons, just missing most of the last six weeks of 2014. The Padres picked up his $7.5 million option for 2016, which seems awfully steep for a guy who might be worth a win above replacement if he throws 65 innings, but they may also have figured he has some trade value if they agree to pay a third or so of his salary. He'll show three above-average pitches, with the changeup plus, and was in the top dozen relievers in the majors for contact rate (according to Fangraphs) in 2015. He's 38 with quite a bit of mileage on him, but would be an upgrade for a lot of teams in the 8th inning.

Yes. Better than I'd seen him in July. Check my AFL blog posts for more details.

Carrasco. Not saying he's AVAILABLE, but that I think they'd listen to a rich offer. That's a guy I'd go after with Swihart.

I would want a little more for the White Sox there. Baez has a very high beta - still a good chance he's not even a regular. Quintana's very good and cheap.

Dombrowski? Has to be a team with an ardent desire to win now and willingness to move prospects for immediate value.

Can hit, not a shortstop.

When I was doing the starting pitcher trade targets today, one thing became pretty obvious: No one has a surplus of pitching, really. Even the Mets are five deep and only five deep. If someone - I'm not even saying a name, not that I believe in such woo but I don't want to seem like i'm wishing for it - there gets hurt, who steps in? They've traded any possible fill-in starter who was close.

If healthy, he should. Still has the size and the breaking ball. Arm actually works fine. Pitching is brutal, man.

That's a lot better although I'd still rather have Betts.

Should be two separate categories. You can have an 80 fastball with 30 life. Seriously, you can have it, because I don't want it.

Utility only. Don't think he'll hit enough to play anywhere every day. And not a shortstop at all.

Yes, but I wouldn't want to platoon Schwarber - let him face lefties and learn to hit them.

No, nor do I think he'll hit enough to play every day.

I can't think of an example of one. He'll get an opportunity, but he won't succeed barring a huge change in approach.

Hometown discounts don't exist, and also, it's not his hometown - Atlanta is, more or less. And by the way, players can get full freight and still go to a winner. It's not like Heyward would sign with, say, Boston or the Yankees and never sniff the playoffs again.

Has to be reliever at least for now.

Never took anything that hard (partly my fault; I didn't exactly seek out the challenges) but had some that were so excruciatingly boring that I didn't fare so well. I remember a government (political philosophy) class my freshman year where we had to read the classics of the field - Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Huntington - and for the first and only time in my life, I hated reading.